Frequently Asked Questions

Do I really need a Personal Injury Lawyer?

Some people try to settle their personal injury case without a lawyer. They think that lawyers are too expensive, or that they can do it on and get the same result. This approach rarely works. The insurance companies’ lawyers and adjusters are skilled at lowballing people who do not have a lawyer. Injured people are not aware of what damages they can recover and fail to ask to be compensated appropriately.

We frequently see insurance companies offer injured people a small amount of money to settle their claim, even though their damages are ten times that amount. Some clients come to us after they have battled the insurance company for years and gotten nowhere.

Hiring a personal injury attorney will result in a better recovery for you. At HSD Law, we pride ourselves on making sure we add value to every clients’ case. Hiring an attorney provides numerous benefits:

Insurance companies more fairly evaluate claims once an injured person is represented by a lawyer. If an insurance company lowballs our client, then it faces litigation.

We read the fine print in all available insurance policies—this includes both the at-fault party’s insurance policy and our clients. We check to see if the at-fault party has an umbrella policy, or if there is additional coverage under an employer. We review our client’s policies for Med-Pay Coverage and Uninsured / Underinsured Motorist Coverage to ensure that no money is left on the table. We also help negotiate any subrogation claims that are asserted by a client’s health insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare.

We maximize clients’ financial recovery because we know which categories of damages an injured person can recover. We work with our clients to articulate their economic and non-economic damages and gather the evidence to support the claim. When a client’s injuries result in permanent impairment, we are experienced at attributing a monetary value to the claim.

We make the insurance company pay the full amount billed for your medical services—not the amount actually paid for the services by your health insurance, Medicaid, or Medicare.

We are skilled at valuing a client’s non-economic damages—this includes pain and suffering, inconvenience, and loss of enjoyment. The more severe the injuries, the greater the non-economic damages. Knowing how to evaluate, articulate, and demand payment of non-economic damages can only be gained through years of experience handling these types of claims.

We pay close attention to how the injuries will affect our clients in the future. We speak with doctors regarding future medical treatment our client needs and then calculate the client’s future medical expenses. When appropriate, we also consult with economists regarding what income a client will lose in the future and to calculate a client’s diminished earning capacity.

Don’t go it alone. Together we can achieve excellent results.

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About the Firm We are Hadfield Stieben & Doutt

Experienced Attorneys serving Fort Collins and Northern Colorado. We are honest lawyers who offer a human approach, working directly with you, listening to you, and ultimately doing what’s in your best interest.